2014 Fantasy Baseball Impact Prospects: Second Base

January 25, 2014

Andy Schmidt prepares you for the 2014 fantasy baseball season covering the Top Second Base (2B) Prospects for 2014, MLB news and fantasy analysis during hot stove season.

When draft day 2014 comes around for fantasy baseball owners, there are going to be a lot of decisions to be made at second base. Many owners will want to get someone like Robinson Cano or Dustin Pedroia early in the draft because the position can be very thin at times. But this could be a season where owners may want to wait a bit to see whether there is a rookie that could make a major impact. There are five second base prospects that could make a splash during the 2014 season. It may take a couple of these players some time to get to the big leagues this season, but there is one in particular that owners must pay very close attention to.

Second Base (2B) Prospects for 2014 Fantasy Baseball

Jonathan Schoop - Baltimore Orioles

Schoop is someone that all fantasy owners should have their eyes on before draft time comes around. He got called up by Baltimore last season and hit .286 with a home run in 14 at-bats. With Brian Roberts now completely out of the picture for the Orioles, it opens the door for Schoop to take the job full-time moving forward. If he does break camp as the team’s starting second baseman, he is someone worth taking in the late rounds of the draft. He did hit 14 home runs last season in the minors while batting .278 in 336 at-bats. Schoop is the top prospect to make an impact this coming year.

Kolten Wong - St Louis Cardinals

When the 2014 offseason got into full swing, it looked like Wong was finally going to get his chance to play every day at second base. The addition of Mark Ellis in St. Louis put those plans on ice. Wong, however, is someone who is going to get his share of playing time this season for the Cardinals. He hit just .153 in 59 at-bats for St. Louis last season during his major league debut, but that experience will only help him moving forward. He is someone worth taking with one of the final picks in the draft just to see if he can get the job permanently.

Eddie Rosario - Minnesota Twins

It looked like Rosario would get a chance to take over at second base this coming year in Minnesota, but a 50-game suspension to begin the 2014 season hurts his chances in a big way. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t make an impact in the second half of the year. He hit 10 home runs with 73 RBI while batting .302 last season at High-A and Double-A. He has a career .307 average in the minor leagues, and it will only be a matter of time before he gets called up. He is someone to stash in deeper leagues because he should get his chance after the All-Star break.

Devon Travis - Detroit Tigers

Travis may get the chance he needs in 2014 with Detroit, now that Omar Infante has signed with the Kansas City Royals. The second base job is now open and Travis has shown at the minor league level that he can hit. He hit 16 home runs and stole 22 bases while batting .351 at two levels of Class-A. The question that must be asked is whether or not the Tigers want to have Travis go straight from Single-A to Comerica Park. The numbers make it a strong possibility. July would be a solid bet for Travis, who should take the job and will run with it to help fantasy owners all over.

Arismendy Alcantara - Chicago Cubs

Alcantara showed in 2013 that he deserves a chance to play at the big-league level. A season with 15 home runs and 69 RBI to go with a .271 average at the Double-A level raised the 22-year-old's profile substantially. The Cubs are rebuilding from the ground up and need help at second base, especially considering the struggles of Darwin Barney. Alcantara could break camp with the major league team, and if he does, he is someone that could be used as an off-day fantasy replacement in deeper leagues. He's a late-round draft or waiver target if you have the roster flexibility, because Wrigley Field will be his next stop sometime in 2014.